Barbara Goldsmith Preservation Division

NYPL staff charged with caring for the
Bill of Rights examine the national treasure.
/ Credit: Jonathan Blanc

The New York Public Library has one of the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive institutional preservation programs in the United States, with activities dating back to the 1911 opening of the landmark Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The Barbara Goldsmith Preservation Division cares for the Library’s permanent assets in all formats housed in more than ninety buildings in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, as well as a high-density storage facility in New Jersey. The Division preserves both the artifacts that comprise the Library’s vast and diverse collections as well as their intellectual content. The work done by Preservation Division staff significantly contributes to the long-term survival of the Library’s renowned collections held in trust for public access and use.

NYPL Conducts Audio and Moving Image Assessment

With Mellon Foundation funding, the NYPL recently completed a comprehensive audio and moving image assessment. NYPL holds one of the largest and the most important audio and moving image (AMI) collections in the world; however, the future of these collections is at risk by the very nature the media’s vulnerability to decay and technological obsolescence. The final recommendations are being integrated into NYPL’s institution-wide strategic planning process with the recognition that sustainable, long-term preservation strategies for AMI collections will best serve the Library’s collections and users. Read the project overview, and watch this page for more information.

Preservation Microfilming preserves the intellectual content of at-risk collection materials by reformatting to microfilm, which may be converted from film to digital format through collaborative projects.

The Outgoing Loan Program for external exhibitions is coordinated by the Registrar’s Office within the Preservation Division. This program enables approved cultural institutions to borrow works from the NYPL's collections for display in their own exhibitions.

With Mellon Foundation funding, the New York Public Library (NYPL) undertook an audio and moving image assessment in 2013. The final recommendations are being integrated into NYPL’s institution-wide strategic planning process with the recognition that sustainable, long-term preservation strategies for AMI collections will best serve the Library’s collections and users.